FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Wayne County, New York

$408,094 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 47/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Wayne County

$408,094 in USDA farm subsidies to Wayne County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 69 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $371,536
Dairy Programs $32,726
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $1,098

Selected program components shown individually. These are separate EWG/USDA pulls and are not additive to the headline subsidy total — no combined "total" is shown. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database / USDA, 2024.

Crop Insurance Premium Subsidy

$5.5M in federal crop-insurance premium subsidy (RMA, 2024).

This is a separate program total (premium-subsidy dollars only) — it is not part of the subsidy headline above and is shown on its own. Source: USDA RMA via EWG, 2024.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2024 Total
1 Vanacker Farms LLC $59,405
2 Van De Walle Fruit Farm, LLC $44,336
3 Smith Brothers Farm Inc $38,289
4 Tree Crisp Orchards LLC $35,302
5 E.R.S. $28,555
6 Doyle Farms Inc $20,433
7 Lake Breeze Fruit Farms, Inc. $16,084
8 Teeple Farms Inc $14,348
9 Lagoner Farms Inc $10,637
10 El-vi Farms LLC $8,408

Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2024). These named payments sum toward the headline total above. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.

About Farming in Wayne County

Unlike its row-crop neighbors, Wayne County leans on livestock — this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 17 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm. Past the livestock picture, recorded USDA payments here are concentrated — the top five recipients account for roughly 50% of the county's recorded farm-subsidy dollars (EWG, totalfarm, 2024).

Wayne County has roughly 863 farms working about 167,220 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~194 acres per farm.

In Wayne County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $110/acre and farmland is valued near $4,862/acre (USDA NASS).

Wayne County is predominantly soybeans country — a specialty county. Its leading harvested crops are soybeans (~26% of harvested cropland), orchards & fruit (~23% of harvested cropland), and corn (~21% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 17 head per 100 farmland acres (about 11,620 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Wayne County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 50% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 69 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby New York counties listed below, Wayne County's Underserved Score (47/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~52/100), ranking above 2 of 4 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Wayne County, conservation and grazing-oriented USDA programs — such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and grassland options under CRP — may be worth asking your local NRCS office about. This is signposting from county land-use patterns, not an eligibility determination.

Local signals from public data: Receives near or above the NY-average USDA $/acre.; Above-average beginning producers (49 per 100 farms).

Local USDA Offices for Wayne County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Wayne County apply for FSA and NRCS programs and get free, in-person help — they handle program sign-ups, conservation plans, and loan applications.

Farm Service Agency
Wayne County Farm Service Agency
10 Leach Rd, Lyons, NY
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Lyons Service Center
10 Leach Rd, Lyons, NY

Source: USDA Service Center locator (Farmers.gov). Office details can change — confirm current hours and appointments via farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

FarmGrant Underserved Score

47 out of 100
Near State Average
#33 of 50 most underserved in New York (36th pctile)
48th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 10.6/25
Producer Priority? 4.4/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 22.3/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the NY-average USDA $/acre.
  • Above-average beginning producers (49 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (62 per 100 farms)
  • High veteran population (8.1%)
  • Elevated insured loss ratio (5.37) — higher recorded crop-loss claims
  • Lower insured-policy density than typical (0.4 policies/farm).

The Underserved Score (0–100) is a descriptive, relative measure of how little USDA farm-program support this county has historically received per acre compared with other counties — built from up to three public-data components (USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage). Lower USDA $/acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use, not unclaimed funding. This is not a measure of need, deservedness, or eligibility, and it does not predict that any farm will receive funding. Sources: USDA NASS, RMA, ERS, and EWG subsidy records.

Programs to look at in Wayne County

These are USDA programs commonly relevant to counties like this one, based on public county patterns. They are not a determination that you qualify — you may be eligible; check with your local FSA or NRCS office.

Conservation programs most farms can use

Counties receiving below-average USDA dollars per acre are often under-enrolled in conservation programs open to most land. You may be eligible — these are worth asking your NRCS or FSA office about.

CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) →EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) →
Priority for beginning producers

This county has a high share of beginning producers per 100 farms. These USDA programs give beginning producers priority scoring, set-asides, or higher cost-share — if that's you, they're worth a look.

FSA Microloan →FSA Direct Operating Loan →
Crop insurance & NAP coverage

This county shows lower-than-typical crop-insurance participation. These risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.

Federal Crop Insurance →
Commodity support (if you grow program crops)

If you grow covered program crops, these commodity-support programs may apply. Eligibility depends on your crops and base acres — check with your FSA office.

ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage — County) →
See the full set of USDA programs you could qualify for → free Subsidy Finder

USDA Funding Per Acre

Historically, Wayne County received about $2.44 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in NY for USDA $/acre. That ranks #2,141 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (167,220 acres, USDA NASS 2022 Census). A descriptive county-wide statistic — not a prediction of what any individual farm received or will receive. This is the same axis as the Underserved Score above (less $/acre → higher Underserved Score, currently 47).

See how Wayne County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
90,829
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$73,028
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
11.0%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.4%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$110/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$4,862/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
330
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
52,586
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Wayne County receive?

Wayne County recipients received about $408,094 in USDA farm subsidies in 2024, per the EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm). This is a single-year county total of recorded payments, not a forecast of future funding.

What USDA programs are available to farmers in Wayne County?

With grazing and forage prominent in Wayne County, conservation and working-lands programs (EQIP, CSP, grassland CRP) and disaster/livestock assistance may be especially relevant, alongside federal crop insurance and FSA loans. Eligibility depends on your farm; use the free Subsidy Finder to see programs you could qualify for, then confirm with your local FSA or NRCS office.

How is the FarmGrant Underserved Score calculated?

The Underserved Score (0–100; 47 for Wayne County — Near State Average) is a descriptive, relative measure of how little USDA farm-program support this county has historically received per acre compared with other counties, built from three public-data components — USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage (USDA NASS, RMA, ERS, and EWG records). Lower USDA support per acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use rather than unclaimed funding. It is not a measure of need or eligibility and does not predict that any farm will receive funding.

Nearby Counties in New York

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Wayne County may qualify for USDA programs based on crop, conservation, and disaster activity. Run the free Subsidy Finder to see which programs you could qualify for, then prep your local USDA office visit.

Find Your Programs Prep USDA Visit Deadlines

Data as of June 08, 2026. Subsidy figures: USDA/EWG 2024 release. Farmland acres: USDA NASS 2022 Census. Underserved Score refreshed monthly. Each figure above carries its own data year; this page is never fresher than its oldest input.